10) Portion Size
Portion control is an integral part of living a healthy lifestyle, which includes eating smaller portions of red meat. It is recommended that you try to limit yourself to three or four ounces a day of lean red meat. If you happen to live a more active lifestyle, four ounces is a safe bet. If you’re less active on a regular basis, it is highly recommended to limit yourself to three ounces.
9) The Bad Reds
There are certain red meats that are worse than others. Bacon, Ham, and Lamb are all examples of the less healthy kind. These types of red meat have been linked to causing cancer and are quite unhealthy for you. They are extremely high in sodium as well as fat. Regardless of how you cook these meats, they do not become healthy for you and it is safer to avoid having them on a regular basis. If you want to learn more about the worst types of red meat for you, please check out our article “The 5 Worst Red Meat For You”.
8) Red Meat Can Be Healthy!
Organic red meat is the better choice if you do still chose to incorporate it into your diet. These generally come from grass-fed animals which are rich in both omega-3 acids and contain vitamin E. An example of an organic red meat would be grass-fed beef. Unfortunately it can be difficult to know which meat has been grass fed. Local farms are usually your best bet for finding 100% grass-fed organic beef.
7) The Healthy Heart
Contrary to popular belief, eating red meat does not necessarily increase the chances of you getting coronary heart diease. In fact, according to some recent studies people who stick to the portion size mentioned earlier (3-4 ounces a day), did not show any signs of being at a greater risk for heart disease or diabetes than those who don’t eat red meat.
6) Nutritional Value
Red meat can provide some nutritional value as long as you stay within the recommended portion size as discussed. Your daily protein intake should be at least 25 grams and which will help you gain a good amount of vitamins B6, B12, zinc. Last but not least, red meat is also a great source of iron.
5) Popular Cuts
While there are over 50 different cuts of meat that can be found, there are certain cuts that are more popular than others. Some of the more popular cuts consist of top sirloin steak, top round steak, t-bone steak, and top loin steak. You can’t go wrong with any of these if you’re trying to find the better tasting cuts of meat; however, remember that sometimes quality comes with a price (such as health).
4) Healthy Cuts
With over 50 different cuts of red meat, how do you determine which are healthier than others for you? The answer is not always an easy one. Generally speaking, the more lean the cut of meat, the better it is for you. This means less saturated and total fat. Some heatlhy cuts would be: Eye of Round, Sirloin Tip, and especially Pork Tenderloin. Pork Tenderloin being one of the healthiest possible cuts contains only 120 calories a serving and is rich in both protein and vitamin B.
3) Popularity of Red Meat
Within North America, the most popular of red meat would be beef. Beef has also been the most popular meat in the meat food group for the past 100 years up until 2014. As of 2014, chicken has become the most popular meat in North America; however, beef still holds the title for red meats. If we were to talk about the most popular red meat worldwide, beef would be considered the second most popular. The truth is, goat is actually the most popular red meat in the world yet only the third in North America.
2) Surprising Variety of Red Meat
There is actually a wide variety of red meat. The average consumer usually thinks of only beef, pork, and goat as red meat. The various other types of red meat are lamb, venison, bison, buffalo, ostrich and moose. Moose is one of the red meat considered better for you and quite rare. Bison and buffalo are also quite a bit better for you, but can be a bit harder to get your hands on.
1) USDA Labels
Depending on the characteristics of meat, different labels are given to them. Some of these labels are USDA Prime, Select and Choice. The characteristics which determine this are juiciness, tenderness and overall flavor. Prime beef which is less juice should be marinated before cooking to ensure full tenderness from them. Choice or Prime beef that requires marinating can be of better quality with more marbling and higher quality.
